The building is located in a pedestrian friendly, non-gated precinct that strategically makes use of passive surveillance, lighting and security to encourage safe walkability to prime local amenities.

The Oxford Parks vision was to build on the strength and unique energy of Rosebank to develop a dynamic, vibrant urban lifestyle with a strong pedestrian focus, located close to public transport offerings such as the Rosebank Gautrain.

Bain Fowler, Development Manager at Intaprop, explains that the phase 1 development covers an area of 34,000sqm, and that the entire Oxford Parks precinct will eventually cover 300,000sqm. “8 Parks Boulevard carries forward the evolving development process that began with the BP building at 199 Oxford,” says Fowler.

We realised that if we involve the green building consultants early enough, the perceived premium cost of incorporating sustainability measures is disproved.

Xavier Huyberechts, director at GLH and Associates Architects, explains that the architecture of 8 Parks Boulevard is largely defined by its site on the strong diagonal extension of Oxford Road running north from the Johannesburg CBD. “When we developed the larger urban design framework for the first phase, we extended the Oxford Street axis into a pedestrian street that cuts the original site into two triangles. This building sits on one of the triangle points. We also slightly cut back the southeast section to create a piazza, with retail and restaurants at ground floor level to activate the street at the pedestrian intersection.

“Each of the four floors can be subdivided for two tenants with direct access off the lift lobbies, and terraces have been provided for each tenant. As the building is oriented east-west, we reduced the fenestration on these facades and opted for punch-out windows rather than full glazed sections. We have also broken the facade into different elements to give the building a playful energy, which is accentuated by using different materials.”

Annelide Sherratt, head of department for Green Building Certifications at Solid Green, says that the base building strategy incorporated indoor environmental quality initiatives to ensure increased staff productivity for tenants. “Intaprop prides itself on implementing sustainable development that improves the surrounding areas and ensures a tangible benefit for its tenants,” she comments.

Studies from the World Green Building Council have shown that sufficient fresh air contributes a 15% improvement to staff productivity; external views contribute 18%; and correct lighting levels for tasks contribute 23%.

The developer wanted a cost-effective 5-star strategy, so we looked at implementing innovation points for exceeding Green Star benchmarks related to local connectivity, financial transparency, online accreditation of Green Star professionals, and implementing reused and recycled materials.

Other sustainable features include sub-metering of major energy and water consuming systems to allow facilities managers to better understand and manage building systems and to assess opportunities for resource savings. An energy model of the building was generated in the design stages and the building design showed an improvement over a SANS 10400 notional building. And a high level of thermal comfort has been ensured by addressing the internal operative temperatures through modelling and ensuring they are within the ASHRAE Standard 55-2004 Acceptability Limits for at least 98% of occupied hours.

A project specific Environmental Management Plan was developed and implemented during construction to establish guidelines that minimise environmental impact; and a project specific Waste Management Plan was developed and implemented to minimise the contribution of waste going to landfill. In addition, the development was designed to minimise both storm water run-off and the pollution of natural watercourses.

By implementing green building principles from the outset, 8 Parks Boulevard has carried through the precinct’s commitment to positive change and urban regeneration in the Rosebank area.

Project Team

Owner: Intaprop/Oxford Parks Pty Ltd
Sustainable building consultant and accredited professional: Solid Green Consulting
Architect: GLH and Associates Architects
Electrical engineer: RWP Consulting Engineers
Fire engineer: WSP
Lift specialist: Schindler Lifts SA (Pty) Ltd
Mechanical engineer: Adaptive Resource Engineers
Quantity surveyors: Gro2 Consulting
Structural engineers: Pure Consulting
Wet services: IZAZI Consulting Engineers
Main contractor: Concor
Project manager: Duncan Clark Project Management
Landscape architect: Insite group
BMS professional: Adaptive Resource Engineers